Inside Job (2010)

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By: Oberst von Berauscht (A Toast)

Arguing that financial deregulation allowed for increasing corruptive practices, and eventually brought about the current financial crisis, this documentary’s purpose is to serve as a rallying cry for financial reform. Renegade filmmaker Charles Ferguson is frustrated, outraged, researched and ready for action.

You don’t fuck with a Renegade

A Toast

Inside Job is a documentary that effectively summarizes the state of the U.S. Economy and identifies the cause of the biggest financial crisis since the great depression. And while filmmaker Ferguson certainly wears his biases on his sleeve, it is very difficult to disagree with his well-argued points. The biggest change that occurred in our economy over the last 30 years is a culture with the mindset that regulation is the antithesis of capitalism.

The film further argues that the assumptions those in favor of deregulation make is that financial institutions will govern themselves through self-interest, maintaining stability through fear of instability. Ferguson makes his interview subjects eat their words, pointing out bad decisions, contradictions, and outright falsehoods quicker than they can recover.

Ferguson isn’t satisfied with simply pointing out the poor or even criminal decisions of the financial industry. He makes the further argument that the current status of the financial industry rewards sociopaths, people willing to bet against the same stocks they recommend to investors. These same people probably spend their off hours entertaining fellow executives or prospective business partners with sex parties and drugs.

They’ve also been a fan of Genesis ever since “Duke” came out in 1980

The final, most frightening argument made in the film is that business schools in colleges nationwide, but particularly in the Ivy League, are being brainwashed into a whole new way of treating economics by taking kickbacks either through school donations, or more directly, to professors who often serve on boards of directors.

This he says, is causing students to be taught business principals that have no benefit to society, and serve only to help the wealthy and opportune help themselves. All these themes are handled with care and organized like an investigative report. And the calm, determined voice of narrator Matt Damon sees the viewer through it all.

In the end, this feels less like an expose of the causes of the crisis, and more like a heist film where the bad guys get away with it all. It leaves the viewer shocked and angered. Only time will tell if this film will succeed in rallying the masses. I’m a cynical bastard though, and my prediction is that the revolution will never come, and nobody will be lined against the wall, no matter how deserving.

Just saying, he’s got to go...

Verdict

This film is essential viewing, and every person interested in or affected by the financial crisis should see this movie.

In other words, everybody should see it.